As the two-door counterpart to the celebrated 3-Series sedan, the BMW 4-series has a lot to live up to. Thankfully, its powertrains don’t disappoint: 430i models are powered by a 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that has seen numerous revisions for 2025, as well as the addition of 48-volt hybrid system to add a little urgency to its low-speed response. The M440i is powered by the latest version of BMW’s silky-smooth—and very muscular—turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, which is assisted by a 48-volt hybrid system to make 386 hp. Both engines are responsive and capable. The 4-series' chassis benefits from a wider rear track, a specific suspension tune, a more-aggressive steering calibration, and a lower center of gravity in comparison to the 3-series sedan. It makes sense on paper, but our last test of the M440i coupe left us feeling less impressed with its driving character than its wonderful inline-six. We’re hoping the mild revisions across the 2025 4-Series lineup dial a little more finesse into the chassis. In other words, models like the the Audi A5, and Genesis G70 currently strike a better balance of power and grace. Still, the 4-series offers an opportunity to get into a well-equipped, entry-level European coupe or convertible that doesn’t mind exercising its muscles when called upon.

Both available engines are updated for 2025 with the addition of a 48V hybrid system. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the 430i now incorporates Miller cycle combustion and numerous additional revisions. Exterior styling gets a boost with a revised front fascia including a new headlamp design and a matte chrome surround for the twin kidney grilles. M440i models and 340i models with the optional Shadowline package get BMW’s new laser taillamp tech utilizing illuminated glass fiber bundles. Two new paint colors join the pallet, Cape York Green metallic and Vegas Red metallic, and an exterior carbon accent package is on offer. Finally, two new 19-inch wheel designs arrive for 2025: the 440i gets a standard (optional on 430i) 19-inch Y-spoke alloy design that can be ordered in either Jet Black or a bi-color finish, and there’s a new optional Y-Spoke alloy bi-color Midnight Grey. Interior updates include a new steering wheel design and BMW’s newest iDrive 8.5 operating system with streamlined functionality designed to address the previous version's sometimes overly complex display and operation system.

Though the 430i coupe is a capable offering, we feel the M440i offers the purest expression of the BMW experience, despite its $13k and change upcharge. It’s turbocharged inline-six plays a big part in that equation, as the 430i’s turbo four-cylinder just doesn’t have the same sharp-toothed personality. That bump in price comes with a load of additional equipment, though, in case you need more reason to justify the cost. The M440i is outfitted with new 19-inch wheels, the M Sport suspension and rear differential, a rear spoiler, a faux-leather wrapped dashboard, and more. A convertible model is also offered, but switching to the soft-top body style adds $8000 to the base price. Adding xDrive all-wheel drive to any 4-series is a $2000 upcharge.

As before, shoppers may not notice much difference between the cabins of the 4-series and the 3-series unless they're in the back seat. The dashboard layout, interior materials, and primary controls look to be identical to the four-door 3-series, although the lower roofline in the 4-series gives it a less spacious feel. Trunk space is less generous here than in the 3-series, especially in the convertible model; in our testing, we fit five carry-on suitcases in the trunk of the coupe model, one less than in the 3-series sedan.

Much has changed since we last strapped our test gear to a M440i coupe or a 430i xDrive. Back then, we saw 60 mph in 3.8 and 5.2 seconds, respectively, in 2021 model-year vehicles. While overall haven’t changed much since then, numerous powertrain revisions and the addition of a hybrid electric system to both are sure to add a little immediacy to step off, which should result in improved performance. We'll update this story when we test the revised powertrains.

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